Steven M. Gursten

Steven Gursten is recognized as one of the nation’s top experts in serious car accident and truck accident injury cases and automobile insurance no fault litigation.

Steve is a Michigan Lawyers Weekly “Lawyer of the Year” out of more than 40,000 practicing attorneys in Michigan. He is a Michigan “Super Lawyer” and is listed in “Best Lawyers in America.” 

Based on opinions of lawyers throughout Michigan, Steve has been selected as an AV-rated lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest lawyer rating available for legal ability and legal ethics. He is also recognized as a “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” by the American Trial Lawyers Association.

Recently, Steve was highlighted in a special in-depth analysis by Michigan Lawyers Weekly of Michigan’s tough auto accident injury threshold laws — and why his clients are succeeding at a time when most people injured in Michigan car and truck accidents are being devastated by the Michigan Supreme Court Kreiner v. Fischer decision.

In addition to achieving some of the highest car and truck accident settlements each year for injury victims in Michigan, Steve has received the largest jury verdict in automobile accident cases for three of the past six years. The firm has received the top reported jury verdict for automobile accident cases for four of the past seven years.

As one newspaper noted, “Gursten is clearly doing something right. Perhaps it’s that his firm is the largest in the state specializing in serious car and truck accident cases. Perhaps it’s the fact that he’s willing to take difficult cases to trial and continues to receive spectacular results. Perhaps it’s the fact that he practices law with honesty and integrity. More likely, it is all of these things . . .” — Michigan Lawyers Weekly, December 26, 2005

Steve is extensively involved in the legal community in Michigan and across the country. He was president of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Interstate Truck Litigation Group for the 2007-08 term. The national group is composed of truck accident lawyers working to make unsafe trucking companies follow the laws, and better prepare lawyers who handle serious truck accident cases. Steve also serves on the executive board of the AAJ Traumatic Brain Injury Group; a group of trial lawyers who dedicate major portions of their legal practices to helping victims of traumatic brain injury.

Seminars & Honors

• Speaker, “Maximizing Personal Injury Damages in Trucking Accident Cases,” Association of Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America; Atlanta, Ga., October 2008
• Speaker, “Locating and Effectively Dealing with Experts on Direct and Cross Examination in First- and Third-Party Litigation,” Institute of Continuing Legal Education; Plymouth, Mich., October 2008
• Moderator, faculty and speaker, “Teaching Lawyers How to Handle Truck Accident Cases,” American Association for Justice Interstate Truck Litigation Group; Chicago, Ill, October 2008  
• Faculty, “Traumatic Brain Injury Law in Michigan,” Michigan Association for Justice; Novi, Mich., September 2008
• Speaker, “Fatigue in Traumatic Brain Injury Cases,” American Association for Justice; Philadelphia, Pa., July 2008
• Speaker, “Closing Argument in Automobile Accident Case,” Michigan Association for Justice; Southfield, Mich., June 2008
• Speaker, “Personal Injury and Insurance Law for Future Lawyers,” Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Lansing, Mich., February 2008
• Moderator and faculty, “Litigating Truck Accident Cases,” American Association for Justice; New Orleans, La., February 2008
• Guest professor, “Understanding Serious Impairment of Body Function and Third-Party Tort Litigation,” Thomas M. Cooley Law School; Lansing, Mich., 2007
• Speaker, “Dealing with IMEs and DMEs after Michigan Auto Accident Cases,” Institute of Continuing Legal Education; Plymouth, Mich., 2007
• Moderator and faculty, Evidence Seminar: “Preparing for Battle,” Michigan Association for Justice; Novi, Mich., 2007
• Speaker, “Litigating Traumatic Brain Injury Cases in Michigan,” Michigan No Fault Institute, Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; Southfield, Mich., 2007
• Moderator and faculty, “Litigating Truck Accident Cases,” American Association for Justice; Chicago, Ill., 2007
• Panel speaker, “Kreiner Evening Forum,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; Novi, Mich., 2006
• Moderator and faculty, “Litigating Truck Accident Cases,” American Association for Justice; Las Vegas, Nev., 2006
• Speaker, “Careers as a Personal Injury Lawyer in Michigan,” Thomas M. Cooley Law School; Lansing, Mich., 2006
• Speaker, “Winning the Michigan Auto Accident Case:Increasing Settlement Values and Trial Verdicts Through the Plaintiff, Treating Doctors, PME and Defendant’s Own Doctors,” Institute of Continuing Legal Education; Plymouth, Mich., 2006
• Keynote speaker, “Achieving the Highest Settlements and Jury Verdicts for Car Accidents,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; Southfield, Mich., 2006
• Panel speaker, “Kreiner Forum,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; Novi, Mich., 2006
• Speaker, No Fault Institute III: “Lawyers Auto Accident Survival Guide,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; Detroit, Mich., 2006
• Speaker, “No Fault Institute II,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; 2005
• Speaker, “Litigation Strategies and Techniques,” Institute of Continuing Legal Education; 2005
• Speaker, “Exposing and Debunking Junk Science at Trial,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; 2005
• Moderator and panel member, “Handling Truck Accident Cases Successfully,” Association of Trial Lawyers of America; 2005
• Speaker, “Avoiding the Threshold Defense in Car Accident Cases,” Institute for Continuing Legal Education; 2005
• Speaker, “Third-Party Litigation: Practical Issues from the Plaintiff's Perspective,” Institute of Continuing Legal Education; 2004
• Author, “Point/Counterpoint: What does Serious Impairment of Body Function Really Mean? How the Supreme Court Will Interpret Kreiner v. Fischer,”  State Bar of Michigan Negligence Law Section Quarterly; 2004
• Speaker, “Taking and Defending Effective Depositions in Michigan: the Plaintiff Attorney's Perspective,” Lorman Legal Education Seminars; 2004
• Speaker, “Your Car, Your Rights, Your Ticket to Freedom,” Oakland County Bar Association; 2004
• Moderator, Evidence Seminar, Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; 2003  
• Speaker, “Winning No Fault Trials,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; 2003
• Speaker, “How to Destroy a Biomechanical Engineer,” No Fault Extravaganza; 2003
• Speaker, “Handling No Fault Trials,” Institute for Continuing Legal Education; 2003
• Speaker, “Your Car, Your Rights, Your Ticket to Freedom,” Oakland County Bar Association; 2003
• Speaker, “Winning Motions for Summary Disposition on Serious Impairment of Body Function,” No Fault Extravaganza; 2002
• Speaker, Negligence Update, State Bar of Michigan; 2002
• Speaker, “New Theories on Damages,” Institute for Continuing Legal Education; 2002
• Speaker, “Taking and Defending Effective Depositions in Michigan: the Plaintiff Attorney's Perspective,” Lorman Legal Education Seminars; 2002
• Speaker, “Doubling the Value of Your Auto Negligence Cases,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; 2002
• Speaker, “Your Car, Your Rights, Your Ticket to Freedom,” Oakland County Bar Association; 2002
• Author, “Handling Automobile Accident Cases in Michigan,” Michigan Lawyer's Manual; 2002
• Speaker, “Expanding Damages in Auto and Premises Liability Cases,” Institute for Continuing Legal Education; 2001
• Speaker, Negligence Update, State Bar of Michigan; 2001
• Speaker, “Maximizing Damages in Auto Cases,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; 2001
• Speaker, “Your Car, Your Rights, Your Ticket to Freedom,” Oakland County Bar Association; 2001
• Author, “Making and Opposing Motions for Summary Disposition on Serious Impairment of Body Function,” State Bar of Michigan Negligence Law Section; 2001
• Representative, State Bar of Michigan Assembly; 2000-01
• Speaker, Negligence Update, State Bar of Michigan; 2000
• Speaker, “Your Car, Your Rights, Your Ticket to Freedom,” Oakland County Bar Association; 2000
• Speaker, “Handling the Low Damage Car Accident Case,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; 2000
• Speaker, Negligence Update, State Bar of Michigan; 1999
• Speaker, “Your Car, Your Rights, Your Ticket to Freedom,” Oakland County Bar Association; 1999
• Speaker, “The Masters Series, Closing Arguments,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; 1999
• Speaker, “Meeting Michigan's Auto Threshold Law,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; 1999
• Speaker, “How to Hammer,” Michigan Trial Lawyers Association; 1999
• Speaker, “Handling Bad Faith Claims Against Insurance Companies,” Allstate seminar; 1999